Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB900 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE BILL 900
5	5	January 11, 2024 - Introduced by Senators TOMCZYK, BALLWEG and QUINN,
6	6	cosponsored by Representatives CALLAHAN, GUSTAFSON, BORN, GUNDRUM,
7	7	MURPHY, MURSAU, ORTIZ-VELEZ, RETTINGER, ROZAR, SCHMIDT, SNYDER, SPIROS
8	8	and VANDERMEER. Referred to Committee on Licensing, Constitution and
9	9	Federalism.
10	10	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
11	11	AN ACT to amend 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.), 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) and 448.974 (1) (a)
12	12	(intro.); and to create 448.01 (3), 448.02 (4m), 448.04 (1) (br), 448.05 (2m),
13	13	448.971 (5) and 448.974 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to: provisional licenses
14	14	to practice medicine and surgery for internationally trained physicians and
15	15	physician assistants and granting rule-making authority.
16	16	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
17	17	This bill creates provisional licenses for certain internationally trained
18	18	physicians to practice as a physician in this state and provides that certain physician
19	19	assistants or physician associates who are licensed to practice in certain qualifying
20	20	countries may apply for and receive a license to practice as a physician assistant in
21	21	this state without having to satisfy certain educational requirements provided under
22	22	current law. Under the bill, provisional licenses to practice as a physician are
23	23	automatically converted into permanent licenses after the provisional license holder
24	24	practices in this state and maintains good standing for three consecutive years.
25	25	Under current law, the Medical Examining Board licenses and regulates
26	26	physicians. This bill provides that the Medical Examining Board may issue a
27	27	provisional license to practice as a physician to an applicant who meets certain
28	28	requirements, including: (1) the applicant has an offer for employment as a physician
29	29	in this state; (2) the applicant has been granted a medical doctorate or a substantially
30	30	similar degree by an international medical program; (3) the applicant has completed
31	31	a residency program or a postgraduate medical training program that is
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38	38	SENATE BILL 900
39	39	substantially similar to a residency program; (4) the applicant has practiced as a
40	40	fully licensed physician in his or her country of practice for at least five years after
41	41	completing a residency program or a postgraduate medical training program that is
42	42	substantially similar to a residency program; (5) the applicant has been in good
43	43	standing with the medical licensing or regulatory agency of his or her country of
44	44	practice for the five years preceding the individual's application and does not have
45	45	any pending disciplinary action before the medical licensing or regulatory agency;
46	46	(6) the applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing
47	47	Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the
48	48	Federation of State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations; (7) the
49	49	applicant has, or will have prior to working as a physician in this state, a federal
50	50	immigration status and employment authorization that enables the applicant to
51	51	work as a physician in this state; and (8) the applicant possesses basic fluency in the
52	52	English language. Under the bill, “international medical program” is defined to
53	53	mean any medical school, residency program, medical internship program, or other
54	54	program that is approved by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical
55	55	Graduates or provides individuals with a medical education or training outside the
56	56	United States that is substantially similar to the training required to qualify to
57	57	practice medicine and surgery in this state.
58	58	Under current law, the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board is
59	59	attached to the Medical Examining Board and is responsible for the licensing and
60	60	regulation of physician assistants. The Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing
61	61	Board must issue licenses to practice as a physician assistant to any applicant who
62	62	is found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board and who satisfies
63	63	certain requirements including that the applicant has successfully completed an
64	64	educational program for physician assistants or physician associates that is
65	65	described under current law or has successfully passed the Physician Assistant
66	66	National Certifying Examination prior to January 1, 1986. This bill provides that
67	67	an applicant for a license as a physician assistant does not have to complete the
68	68	educational program described under current law if the applicant provides evidence
69	69	satisfactory to the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board that the
70	70	applicant is licensed as a physician assistant or physician associate in a qualified
71	71	country, that the applicant is in good standing with the licensing or regulatory
72	72	institution in the qualified country, that the applicant can speak fluently in the
73	73	English language, and that the applicant is lawfully admitted to work as a physician
74	74	assistant in the United States. Under the bill, “qualified country” is defined to mean
75	75	a country that the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board determines by
76	76	rule has set educational requirements for obtaining a license to practice as a
77	77	physician assistant or physician associate in that country that are substantially
78	78	equivalent to the educational requirements for licensure as a physician assistant in
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82	82	SENATE BILL 900
83	83	For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
84	84	an appendix to this bill.
85	85	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
86	86	enact as follows:
87	87	SECTION 1. 448.01 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
88	88	448.01 (3) “International medical program” means any medical school,
89	89	residency program, medical internship program, or other program that is approved
90	90	by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates or provides
91	91	individuals with a medical education or training outside the United States that is
92	92	substantially similar to the training required to qualify to practice medicine and
93	93	surgery in this state.
94	94	SECTION 2. 448.02 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:
95	95	448.02 (4m) INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS. The board may suspend or revoke a
96	96	license granted under s. 448.04 (1) (br) if a majority of the board determines that the
97	97	holder of the license is no longer employed as a physician in this state. The holder
98	98	of the license shall be granted an opportunity to be heard prior to the board's
99	99	determination.
100	100	SECTION 3. 448.04 (1) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
101	101	448.04 (1) (br) Provisional license to practice medicine and surgery for
102	102	international physicians. The board may grant a provisional license to practice
103	103	medicine and surgery for international physicians to an applicant who satisfies the
104	104	requirements under s. 448.05 (2m). A provisional license to practice medicine and
105	105	surgery under this paragraph shall be converted into a license to practice medicine
106	106	and surgery under par. (a) after the provisional license holder practices medicine and
107	107	surgery full-time in this state and maintains good standing for 3 consecutive years.
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130	130	SECTION 4 SENATE BILL 900
131	131	SECTION 4. 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
132	132	448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (f) and sub. (2m), an
133	133	applicant for any class of license to practice medicine and surgery must supply
134	134	evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
135	135	SECTION 5. 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
136	136	448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (c) to (f) and sub. (2m), an
137	137	applicant for a license to practice medicine and surgery who is a graduate of a foreign
138	138	medical college must supply evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
139	139	SECTION 6. 448.05 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
140	140	448.05 (2m) PROVISIONAL LICENSE TO PRACTICE MEDICINE AND SURGERY FOR
141	141	INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS. An applicant for a provisional license to practice medicine
142	142	and surgery for international physicians must supply evidence to the board that the
143	143	applicant satisfies all of the following:
144	144	(a) The applicant has an offer for employment as a physician in this state.
145	145	(b) The applicant has been granted a medical doctorate or a substantially
146	146	similar degree by an international medical program.
147	147	(c) The applicant has completed a residency program or a postgraduate medical
148	148	training program that is substantially similar to a residency program.
149	149	(d) The applicant has practiced as a fully licensed physician in his or her
150	150	country of practice for at least 5 years after completing a residency program or a
151	151	postgraduate medical training program that is substantially similar to a residency
152	152	program.
153	153	(e) The applicant has been in good standing with the medical licensing or
154	154	regulatory agency of his or her country of practice for the 5 years preceding the
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181	181	SECTION 6
182	182	SENATE BILL 900
183	183	individual's application and does not have any pending disciplinary action before the
184	184	medical licensing or regulatory agency.
185	185	(f) The applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing
186	186	Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the
187	187	Federation of State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations.
188	188	(g) The applicant has, or will have prior to working as a physician in this state,
189	189	a federal immigration status and employment authorization that enables the
190	190	applicant to work as a physician in this state.
191	191	(h) The applicant possesses basic fluency in the English language.
192	192	SECTION 7. 448.971 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
193	193	448.971 (5) “Qualified country” means a country that the board determines by
194	194	rule has set educational requirements for obtaining a license to practice as a
195	195	physician assistant or physician associate in that country that are substantially
196	196	equivalent to the educational requirements for licensure as a physician assistant
197	197	under s. 448.974 (1) (a) 3. a.
198	198	SECTION 8. 448.974 (1) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
199	199	448.974 (1) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in par. pars. (b) and (c), the board
200	200	shall grant an initial license to practice as a physician assistant to any applicant who
201	201	is found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board and satisfies all of
202	202	the following requirements, as determined by the board:
203	203	SECTION 9. 448.974 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
204	204	448.974 (1) (c) Paragraph (a) 3. does not apply to an applicant who provides
205	205	evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is licensed as a physician
206	206	assistant or physician associate in a qualified country, that the applicant is in good
207	207	standing with the licensing or regulatory institution in the qualified country, that the
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234	234	SECTION 9 SENATE BILL 900
235	235	applicant can speak fluently in the English language, and that the applicant is
236	236	lawfully admitted to work as a physician assistant in the United States.
237	237	SECTION 10.0Effective date.
238	238	(1) This act takes effect on January 1, 2025.
239	239	(END)
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